From Atoms to Materials

Experiment 13.5A Some chemical properties of metals (e.g. resistance to corrosion) are also related to their uses. Gold and silver are examples of metals with high resistance to corrosion. Analysis and conclusion 1. Arrange the metals in decreasing order of (a) electrical conductivity; > > (b) thermal conductivity; > > 2. What can you conclude about the malleability of these metals? Their malleability is (the same / different) . We have just seen the variations in some physical properties of three metals. For easy comparison, some physical properties of some metals are listed below: Metal Density (g/cm 3 ) Melting point (°C) Strength Electrical conductivity Thermal conductivity aluminium 2.70 660 ** **** *** copper 8.96 1085 *** ***** **** gold 19.3 1064 *** **** **** iron 7.87 1538 **** ** * silver 10.5 962 *** ***** **** tin 7.29 232 * ** * titanium 4.51 1670 **** * * (***** = best; * = worst) Table 13.9 Comparison of the physical properties of some metals Such variations in the metals’ physical properties are closely related to their uses. For example, copper is a good electrical conductor, so copper is a suitable material for making electrical wires. More information about the uses of metals and the related physical properties are given on the next page. 62 © United Prime Educational Publishing (HK) Limited 2024 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Sample